A Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese originally created in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Cuba and in the early Cuban immigrant communities of Key West and Tampa, Florida. Later on, Cuban exiles and expatriates brought it to Miami where it is also still very popular. The sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles, on Cuban Bread, a crisp crusted roll with soft interior.

When assembled, the sandwich is lightly toasted in a sandwich press called a plancha, which is similar to a panini press but without grooved surfaces. The plancha both heats and compresses the sandwich, which remains in the press until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted. It is usually cut into diagonal halves before serving.

Primanti Brothers sandwich: Back in the 1930's, Joe Primanti opened a cart in the Strip District selling sandwiches to truckers on the go. It was decided that he should expand to a small restaurant on 18th Street. The hours were 3am to 3pm to accommodate truckers and the like. His brothers, Dick and Stanley, joined him along with nephew John DePriter who was the cook.

According to John, "One winter, a fella drove in with a load of potatoes. He brought a few of 'em over to the restaurant to see if they were frozen. I fried the potatoes on our grill and they looked pretty good. A few of our customers asked for them, so I put the potatoes on their sandwiches." And the rest is history. The sandwich consists of your choice of meats, provolone, tomatoes, french fries, and a vinegar based coleslaw (recipe to follow) on thick slices of french bread.

Combine the cabbage, sugar, salt and celery seed in a colander set over a medium bowl. Let stand at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours; the cabbage will be wilted (about 4 cups total). Discard the draining liquid in the bowl; rinse and dry the bowl, then transfer the wilted cabbage to the bowl. Add the oil and vinegar; toss to coat. Season with pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I think the overall favorite with the family and myself was the Primanti Brothers.. the tart slaw was a nice counterpoint to the lush meats and cheese, and the salty fries...and the tomato was just the icing on the cake.

Monday, September 26, 2011

So clearly I'm no food stylist... but my food is tasty at any rate.... last nite's dinner was Green chili roast pork, stuffing, and corn... plus the lemon mousse cheesecake for dessert! And actually...the cheesecake was the most homemade thing of the nite...the other items merely required a bit of time in the oven or microwave (let me recommend the Armour brand green chili roast pork loin.. 5.50 @ Grocery Outlet)
... but here is the recipe for the cheesecake:

Lemon Mousse Cheesecake

3- 6 oz tubs of cream cheese
1/2 can aerosol whipped topping (or actual whipped cream if desired) (you kinda have to guess at this one)
1 cup sugar
1- 3 oz pkg lemon jello
3/4 cup boiling water
the juice and zest of one lemon
Crust of your choice ( I used a lemon poundcake from a mix, (bought from the 99 Cents store) but you can use crumbs or wafer cookies)

Mix jello with boiling water and stir til clear. Place in fridge to get cool and thick but not set.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar til fluffy., Then add juice and zest, then fold in whipped topping. When jello is set, add slowly to cheesecake mixture til well blended.
Pour into crust that is set into a 9 inch sprinform, and let set up in fridge for a few hours.
Unmold and serve.
Number of servings depends on how many hungry people you have..